Sexual Health Importance: Q And A With Dr. Haris Burki

Sex or sex education in Pakistan is no doubt a taboo topic, however, with evolving times, we should definitely be more aware of sexual health.

Sex is a fundamental part of life and our overall health and it is important to treat sexual dysfunctions. Sexual dysfunction occurs when you have a problem that prevents you from wanting or enjoying sexual activity. It can affect both genders and may happen at any age.

Dr. Haris Burki is one of the top Sexologists in Lahore. After completing his PHD in sexology, he did his fellowship, FECSM (sexual medicine, Holland), and received 10th position in the world. He has an impressive 24 years of experience in helping patients recover from their sexual dysfunctions.

In his session with oladoc, he answers important questions about sexual health, common sexual health problems in our society, myths about sex, and treatment options in Pakistan. 

Q1. Tell us about the importance of sexual health in the life of an individual?

Well, according to me, sexual health is very important because it is the vital power that fuels your body.  I would also like to say that sex is not solely based on our genitalia but our whole body and brain impact our sexual experience. That includes the nerve endings, blood vessels and hormonal makeup. So, since is based on a full-body experience, it has various physical and mental benefits.

Q.2. What are the common problems related to sexual health and intimacy in our country?

I receive both male and female patients. When it comes to male sexual health, impotence or erectile dysfunction cases are really common. These are individuals who find it hard to maintain an erection and unable to perform intercourse. Similarly, premature ejaculation, in which the man ejaculates sooner than 1 minute and are not able to satisfy their partner.

In addition to these, people come to me with issues of low sex drives, low sperm count, poor sperm health. 

I also treat patients who have psychiatric issues such as depression, mania and anxiety and on the rare occasion, I also come across patients that have both psychiatric and sexual issues.

Q.3. What are the most common myths about sexual health?

Unfortunately, there are many myths that are widely believed in our culture. One such prevalent myth is that masturbation is somehow detrimental to health. As a result, people become guilt-ridden that they are losing their “precious energy”. This is completely a myth, though and has no basis in truth.

Another, quite laughable myth is that people believe that “a fight between the egg and sperm determines the sex of the child”. If the egg wins, its a girl and if the sperm wins, its a boy. Again, all of these are mere myths.

Q.4. How do you diagnose and treat sexual problems?

Well, first of all, we ask the patient’s history; past or current illnesses, the nature of their sexual problems, diet, lifestyle and even childhood experiences.

Then there are some physical tests that we do in which we determine if the position of the sexual organs is in the right order or not. And then we also send semen or blood samples to check for any irregularities.

Once we have the comprehensive report, medications are prescribed. Since I believe in allopathy medicine, I prescribe those but nowadays, there is some science-backed herbal medicine that is known to improve sexual health too.

Q.5 How is sexual health related to other specialities?

Since I am a psychiatrist and a sexologist, both these fields go hand in hand. It is common to find a link between psychiatric and sexual issues. For instance, if someone has a psychiatric issue, they most likely have a sexual issue as well and vice versa. So, a psychiatric issue might help alleviate any sexual issue and treatment of a sexual problem may automatically clear any psychological block.

If you want to learn more about sex-related concerns then watch the full interview below. 

Furthermore, if you have any sex-related concerns, you can consult a sexologist. Book an appointment with a top sexologist through oladoc.com, or call our helpline at 042-3890-0939 for assistance to find the RIGHT professional for your concerns.